Human Trafficking Awareness Day - January 11

The 2009 UCC Synod Resolution and 2011 Disciples Assembly Resolution against human trafficking urge congregations to recognize January 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Use the Sunday closest to the date to learn about trafficking in persons and discuss how to become advocates for those victimized by such human rights abuses.

"From factories and brothels to farms and mines, millions of men, women, and children in the United States and around the world are exploited for their bodies and their labor...In order to rid the world of modern slavery we must do everything in our power to combat these violations of human decency."

What Can You Do for Human Trafficking Awareness Day?

Plan a worship service with a human trafficking theme.

Plan a community awareness event in your local community featuring local human trafficking organizations.

Host a Human Trafficking Mission Fair for local churches in your community. Invite local organizations to have a table and display; have a speaker; have a dinner with a free-will offering to benefit a human trafficking abolitionist group or outreach to trafficking survivors or other related organizations.

Ask your local library to have a display in the month of January on books in their library on the issue of human trafficking. Make a display board to place with the book display.

Write letters to the editor to your local newspaper on the issue or write a guest commentary on the issue for the paper.

Invite women in your community to a Human Trafficking Awareness Breakfast with a speaker.

Hold a book discussion using a book on the issue of human trafficking. You might want to do this in conjunction with your local library.

Plan a prayer walk or candlelight vigil in your community to bring awareness that human trafficking happens in every community. End at your town center or a church with candles and a time of prayer.

Make a traveling mural focusing on victims of human trafficking (a great way to get your youth involved). Begin in your church and arrange for it to be on display at a different church, the public library, or town hall in your community each week through January. It could also be accompanied by an informational display on the issue.

Plan a lunch time discussion at your workplace, sharing with your colleagues about the issue of human trafficking.

Decorate the outside of your church with lights, purple ribbons, and a human trafficking banner so that your church will be a beacon of light on this issue in the month of January.

Organize individuals to write or call members of Congress to support anti-trafficking legislation.

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Thank you for providing resources to spread awareness of human trafficking. My Joy Group of Robin Run is having a speaker from Purchased here in Indianapolis on Feb. 6. We will be looking for a project to do in April or May. Please e- mail me any project ideas you have. Thanks! Karon Duffield, chair of the Joy Group Service Project Committee